You know...a recording that you would never play for anyone else because you are afraid they would think your nuts and snicker. I'll go ahead and admit mine - "The Carpenters Greatest Hits." Now stop that! I bet you have a guilty pleasure recording. What is it?
I have tons of stuff that my friends snicker at but I don't feel guilty or embarrassed. What embarrasses me is that most of my friends have not broadened their musical horizons and still listen mainly to the stuff they loved in high school. Deep Purple and Journey are cool but jeez, there's other stuff out there that's kinda interesting, too.
bill's favs are all incredible artists. johnny rivers was the catalyst for what eventually was termed country rock...yes, long before gram parsons, the byrds and rick nelson. though known as a singles band, the grass roots never recorded a dud song period.....add chris montez, the tremeloes,cliff richard, the sweet, hank marvin/the shadows, and the fortunes to the list, and its party time.....sandy shaw and leslie gore too. ps...if you can't get laid to a chris montez lp...you can't get laid.
I honestly do like Micheal Jackson's "Thriller". As far as I'm concerned it, for what it is; well produced comercial pop, hits the nail dead on. Guilty as charged.
Bread's Greatest Hits on vinyl. I waver between leaving the room and then there are these moments of compositional brilliance. Oh well..suffice it to say it doesn;t get a ton of heavy rotation, but once in a while...It Doesn't Matter To Me is so syrupy yet LA polished.
ABC--Look of Love Air Supply--I'm all out of love Simply Red--Holding back the years Melissa Manchester--Don't cry out loud Olivia Newton John--You're the one that I want UB40--Red red wine Haircut 100--Love plus one The Archies--Sugar, sugar Carly Simon--Anticipation Men At Work--Be good johnny Britney Spears--Oops...I did it again Jimmy Dean--Little black book
How about anything by ABBA. A friend of mine described them as the group that all guys like but won't admit it.
My guiltiest pleasure of all is singing along full volume to whatever I'm playing. I only do this when nobody is home,...or when I'm in the shower, which has excellent acoustics by the way.
I used to go to Goodwill and find stacks of records that looked unplayed, and buy them all, regardless of the artist, because they were only 99 cents each. Never listened to many of them. I have Adam Ant, Culture Club, and others that friends and I would consider a good laugh. After reading this thread, I guess I'll have to give them a listen....you never know....
The group Yes, especially Yessongs, or some of their other recordings. I know one person that likes them a little but not enough to take time the time to listen. But I'll always be a fan.
I have soo many its ridiculous. Sometimes I just like listening to catchy pop music. Over the past year, on heavy rotation at my house is Colbie Calliat, Tristan Prettyman, and Jason Mraz. I also have a soft spot for 80's nostalgia. Last night I was listening to Tiffany. I hope this does not get me banned from Audiogon!
Incredibly well-recorded and thanks to A&M generally well-manufactured.
Probably their only album that really stands together as a seamless whole and the only one made for adults. Very entertaining and Karen's voice is, as always, lovely.
Hey Doc_stereo! Go to Europe and play an ABBA song on the juke box and all the wives will love you. They're still incredibly beloved there. I have all their albums! (But I'm pretty sure I got them all for a buck or less.) Although I did pay full price for the "Waterloo" single when I was 11 in 1974.
Tvad: Karen had one of the greatest voices ever...., add to that, her brother was a musical genious and, after all of their fame, she still considered herself a drummer first before a singer.
Styx "Mr. Roboto" Men Without Hats "Hey Men" Sniff "n" the Tears "Driver's Seat" Walter Egan "Magnet and Steel" (..a great song that is forgotten)
Regarding "Oops...I Did it Again", I think artists such as Richard Thompson, who covered it, saw through the fluff.
I personally, don't know why there is such a love/hate relationship with Adelle? What a great talent! Many more.
Amongst my peers (Americana/No Depression/roots types), it is not politically correct to like Shania Twain. Steve Earle called her "The highest paid lap dancer in Nashville"! I don't care, I like her records. Yeah, it's not really country---it's Pop. I love Pop!
Man, there's a lot of my favorite tracks or albums listed--I had no idea I should be red-faced for listening to them! Who knew?
I consider the early Beach Boys tracks a guilty pleasure because the lyrics--whether about surfing, cars, or young love--are so very simplistic and "old school." More Ozzie and Harriet than Simpsons, alas. I'll never give them up.
tostadosunidos---It was precisely because of their surfing/cars/girls lyrics that The Beach Boys were considered so uncool to like in the late 60's-early 70's (though not by my friends and I, and perhaps you, if you're old enough!). They were viewed as an "Oldies" act by the hippies/counter-culture, about as relevant as any other pre-Beatles "entertainers" (as apposed to "artists", though Brian Wilson was the greatest artist of the time, unbeknownst to them), and Capitol Records was still promoting them as "America's No.1 Surf Group" as late as 1968. Even after their lyrics had caught up with the times (starting with Smiley Smile in '67), I could not get new musician acquaintances to give their new albums a serious listen. Their loss! To their credit, The Grateful Dead respected The Beach Boys enough to invite them to share the stage with them in the early 70's. By that time, TBB were actually a damn good live band. I saw them with Chicago, whom they thoroughly embarrassed. Bob Dylan saw them around that time, and said "Hey, these guys are really good".
bdp24, I saw them three times--best version was the BBs in white suits with a half-dozen sidemen in black. Strawberry Alarm Clock and Buffalo Springfield opened the show. It was real good. I followed them through "Holland" and some of the early 70's stuff. Then I got distracted by Zappa, British progressive rock and the Mahavishnu Orchestra. It was hard for me to listen to the Beach Boys for a while after that.
The "white suit" era---that's what they are pictured in on the original U.K. pressing (there was no U.S. release at the time) of the "Live In London" LP (1968). After they signed to Reprise in 1970 they put out a few good albums (Sunflower, Surf's Up, Holland, So Tough), then came the horrid "Brian is Back" fiasco with the poor "15 Big Ones" album, an exercise in nostalgia, right up Mike Love's alley. Their final good album was "Love You" (1977), after which Brian again dropped out. That was the end of The Beach Boys for me.
I saw Brian on his first solo tour, and it was the most heartbreaking, sad, depressing, and pathetic spectacles I've ever witnessed. He obviously has brain damage from, I assume, his years of self-medication. I vowed to never again put myself through that, so avoided seeing a live performance of the "Smile" album, much as I would have loved to. I have so far avoided seeing the Love and Mercy movie, though I guess I eventually will. Rock n' Roll's most tragic figure, and it's most genius.
I was the OP of this thread almost 8 years ago. I like how Audiogon has reconfigured its discussion forum to include recent posts to dead threads - neat to see the flame still burning.
Huh, I’m still listening to "The Carpenters Greatest Hits" to this day and it has become one of my references. Whodathunk! Oh, be sure to download the hi-rez version from HD Tracks; really good.
Now, to hear what dance music sounds like on my Wilson MAXX speakers, I sometimes play Lady Gaga "Just Dance". Sounds freakin’ incredible!
Digital Underground - The Humpty Hump. 12" single. But I do admit to playing it for other people too. Great recording. You can probably pick up a sealed copy on Ebay for $15 tops.
I'll have to admit a taste for 'sunshine pop' One of my island discs is Spanky and our Gang 'Like to get to know you' Also love Donovan "Gift from a flower to a garden' and for a little more class, 'Nat Cole sings, George Shearing plays'
Rose-A Gift From A Flower To A Garden-there is a classic, such great music, thanks for reminding me, I have the original double LP and managed to find it on CD some years back. I am digging it out and playing it tonight. Thank you!
Someone mentioned Four Freshmen. I really dig them. Does anyone like a 4 voice vocal group 'The Free Design?' Also 'Supersax'? I really like Mel Torme. He's a lot better than that blue eyed jerk from Hoboken.
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